Team Arctic Fox! Chat Thread:
 

Sorry 'bout the wait, you all ready?! :carrot:

Team Leader: DivineFidelity

Members:
Candi44 - Unable to PM her, I hope she finds us again :(
FassGal
mhill0823
Lambiechop
cheerios
princessdi86
ForeverLove
mya
nest
jayohwhy
princessgina00
Riestrella
Princess of the KING
Matilda08
chubbyhipster
PinkSnowDays

thanks for fixing it, divine!!

I'm ready to go! Thanks zan and divine!

Hey everyone!

Looks like I'm you're team leader! I'll get to making a team banner in a little bit for everyone to put in their signature if you want it, but first I want to introduce myself =D

I'm a 21 year old college kid. I work full time teaching Pre-K at a church run day school, and go to school part time (mostly online because I can fit it around my work schedule). I'll be finishing my associate's degree in Spring of 2012, and then in the fall I'll be going back to Sam Houston State University to get my bachelors in Education.

I've been overweight my entire life. It may look like I'm just starting out, but I'm not. I lost 70 pounds a little over a year ago, and got down to my lowest adult weight of 180 pounds. Then I started dating my best friend of 7 years at the time, and we've been dating for a year and 7 months now....and I've put those 70 pounds back on PLUS 4 more pounds. I'm currently my highest adult weight ever, and I'm not okay with it. I am just finding it really difficult to stay on track because I'm so happy right now. I've got an amazing guy, and an amazing job...and I've never been one of those girls who is super self conscious or anything, so my size doesn't really BOTHER me. I know it's unhealthy and I need to change it, but that was a lot easier when I wasn't happy with anything that was going on in my life then it is now. It's still something I need to do though, and I'm helping that this challenge will help kick my butt back into gear!

I'm really looking forward to getting to know all of you. I'm definitely a 3FC addict, so I check the site like 20 times a day or something ridiculous...and so I really hope that you guys are chatty! I would like to challenge everyone to respond to other people's posts AS WELL as just posting about what's going on in their own life, because I feel like the best way to be a team is to be there and support each other. I feel like that is something that the last challenge was really lacking...communication between the members of the teams. I understand if you're super busy or have a serious time crunch not responding to everything all the time, but please try and find the time to support your team members!

I think that in the weigh in thread Zan might have mixed up the dates for the weigh ins. I've already messaged her and brought it to her attention, and I've posted what I feel the dates should be as well. As soon as I get a response from her I'll let you guys know what's going on. Oh and guys, don't worry about trying to work out the percentages yourself. I'll go ahead and figure them all out. It will be helpful to me though if you post your weight each week and then the amount you lost next to it in parenthesis though (ex: if my weight last week was 255 and this week it was 252 then I would put 11/12: 252 (-3) for the weigh in). Obviously you won't have anything lost this week because it's the starting week, but if you could start doing that next week I'd appreciate it!

I'm really looking forward to this challenge, and I hope you are too! =D

Alright, the dates in the weigh in thread are now correct! Awesome!

Here's what I came up with for a banner. I don't have Photoshop or anything anymore...all I have is Microsoft Paint...so I did the best I could. If anyone thinks they can do better, feel free!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...rcticFox-1.png

All you have to do is take this link >> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/MysticismMode/ArcticFox-1.png << and go to your User CP, Edit your signature, click the yellow icon that has mountains on it (to add pictures) and paste the link in the box and press okay. Then you'll have the banner in your signature! =D

jayohwhy, just FYI....I shrunk the banner a little bit (it was too big) so you the link is different. You might want to go put the new one in your signature...it's smaller and I think it looks better. =D

wow, divine, thanks for the nice banner. I can already tell that you're going to be an awesome team leader!
it's funny because I have part of the same story as you. I started my journey at 222 lbs, lost 60 with a medical weight loss program, and started dating my best friend (now husband). In the happiness, my weight has taken a back burner. I am also a teacher (third grade this year) and I love it, but its hard work and it's easy to emotionally eat in this field.

but for me, I am coming up on 30 and there are some things that I've always wanted to do-- i've always wanted to be a runner and be at my ideal weight. This time, though, I've created a "slow and steady" plan versus my past experience of crash dieting. I needed that initial plan to reteach me good eating habits, but since then it's been a yo-yo. I restarted at the end of sept and gave myself a year to lose the last 53. It keeps me from wanting to give up/ set unrealistic-unhealthy expectation...

Hey team!!! I certainly hope this challenge goes a Lot more smoothly than the last one:)
It's already coming together nicely!!

Little about me... I've always been on the bigger side and never could seem to lose the weight. April of this year it was like a lightbuld finally went off and I just wanted to change. It's been a long process and will continue to be but I know that I have it in me and will be smaller and more healthy before I know it!:)
I'm 22, part time student, full time banker! I recently got a promotion and am working longer more stressful hours so I've slacked off a lot lately while adjusting! I'm ready to get back on track and get this weight off!:)

Wow Jay, we do have a lot in common. I've always had dreams of being a runner, but it's completely unrealistic for me. I've now had 3 foot surgeries and have to wear custom orthotic insoles in my shoes at all times (and they don't fit in anything but sneakers, so I'm basically banned from cute shoes for the rest of my life). I've been told I'll never wear heels again, never be able to run, and that I shouldn't even walk around my HOUSE barefoot unless I want to have more surgeries. The bones in my feet grow funny, and walking without the right support makes it worse. I just got a new pair of shoes that are the most comfortable things I have ever owned though (like it actually doesn't hurt me to walk at all!) and so I've been CONSIDERING trying to get back on a treadmill (that was one of my favorite things before the surgeries)...

I'm really am having trouble getting back on track. With a goal of 150, I have to lose 105 pounds. That is just suck a big, scary, ominous number....and I feel like I'll never be able to get there. I feel like I've already tried and messed up, and that I'm just going to mess up again, so why should I bother? It's really hard to push myself to stay on plan and fight the cravings when I feel like it will never happen anyways. I'm so happy right now, and so it's hard to tell myself that I want to change...because change could lead to unhappiness.

That's another thing. My real battle is with fast food. It's not really soda...or candy....or cake or cookies....it's the cheeseburgers and french fries. I'm addicted to the stuff...like to the point where I will go buy it and eat it in my car instead of going in because i want to hide it from people....or I'll scarf it down before I get home so that my family doesn't know that I'm eating it. It's really bad...and I'm ashamed of it....and I don't even know why I do it. I KNOW the stuff is bad for me, I KNOW it makes me feel sick...but it's like the cravings control me and I just haven't been able to find a way to say no (except when i have no money, because then obviously I cannot afford it). Idk, it's just really difficult for me. That's another thing I'm hoping this challenge will tackle. If anyone else is as active on here as I am, then maybe when I'm craving it and I post on here, someone will respond and tell me NO DON'T DO IT!!! lol. >.<

mhill, congrats on the promotion! Those are always good. Even with the added stress I know that you can do this. Everyone is capable of living a healthier life. Personally, i think it's normal to slack off a little bit while you're transitioning in your life like that. Whenever something big happens, I generally just try and maintain for a bit until I get a handle on things. There is nothing wrong with that at all! If I can get back on track, so can you. We can do it together! By the end of this challenge we'll all be Foxy Ladies! hahaha. wow...that was corny. Sorry guys. lol

Oh, I also want to suggest to everyone...go check out Fitocracy!

I know that there was a promo code SARGE that you could join with, and if it's not working I still have some invites so let me know and I'll invite you guys. My name on there is DivineFidelity. I don't use it much (I forget to track stuff most of the time), but I think if you guys all started using it we could make a team arctic fox group and we could always see what our teammates were up to when it came to exercise, and maybe get some new ideas. =D

Divine, May I please have an invite?

Hi guys! I'm 23 yrs old and joined this challenge to lose the weight I gained since I been with my bf and our one year anniversary will be on thanksgiving. In that one year I gained about 30lbs back which is insane cause I always said I wouldn't be one to gain back the lbs I have lost, but look at me now :( I took 2 semesters off of college so I'm always at home doing nothing which is bad because i dont get to be real active so I been applying for jobs and applied for papa johns and that's only one place that ever contact me back and my interview is next week and I really hope they hire me I wander what questions they will ask me hmmm anyways the pizza might just make me fatter if I get hired so maybe good if I don't get hired. That's a lil about me and I wish everyone the best as we ride this challenge out together!!! Woo hoo! Oh and Ty divinefidelity for being team leader and I think we been in a challenge together before a long while back I think....

Hi guys! A little about me.

I'm 27, a stay at home military wife, I have a 4 year old girl and a 6 year old boy, my husband is currently deployed. My story is a long one but essentially I got married, had kids, became super depressed, and gained a ton of weight. My high weight was 5 years ago at 320. This time I'm finally doing it the right way.

cheerios, I remember you! I completely understand gaining weight back once you're in a relationship....because that's what has put me all the way back where I started. Instead of looking back and regretting what we didn't do though, lets look forward and think about what we CAN do. Obviously we know how to lose weight, if we did it once we can do it again! About the job, I hope you get it. I've worked in food service before and honestly I didn't gain much weight. Seeing how lazy my coworkers were and how they made the food made me really not ever want anything. lol. Once you see how packaged and processed everything really is, maybe it would make it easier to not eat the pizza? Anyways, good luck with the interview =D

Lambiechop, welcome to the challenge! I know how stressful young kids can be just from teaching Pre-K, and I don't even have any of my own. Good for you not letting all that stress hold you back from achieving your weight loss goals!

DON'T FORGET TO POST YOUR STARTING WEIGHTS IN THE WEIGH IN THREAD!!! I almost forgot to remind you guys!....I think since people might not have checked the site today, i'll give everyone a couple of days to get it in. Tomorrow i'll PM people who haven't posted yet =)

Hey everyone. I'm 22, living in the UK. I gained weight by not exercising for years (was a super lazy teen) and then in my final year at Uni followed by a month in America I ate loads of junk and got to 200 lbs. I don't know how it happened, I'm embarrassed it happened quite frankly, but I've taken control of my life and my weight and lost 36 lbs so far.

I did the last BL challenge and lost 8 lbs so I'm hoping to lose 7 lbs this time around since it's 7 weeks. I eat 3 times a day, no snacks, I drink just water and I try my best to exercise 6 times a week. Right now I'm doing the Insanity challenge, been slacking a bit recently but I'm still losing weight so that's a good sign that my body is changing!

Good luck everyone =)

Okay guys, here is a list of team members who have not posted in the weigh in thread yet! I'm asking that all starting weights be posted by Monday at the LATEST! If you see any of these wonderful ladies posting anywhere else in the forum, can you please remind them to come check the team chat thread and post in the weigh in thread? That would be great! I just PM'd all of them except Candi who can't recieve PMs....and hopefully they'll be with us soon =D

Team Members Missing Initial Weigh-In Posts

Candi44
princessdi86
ForeverLove
nest
Princess of the KING
Matilda08
PinkSnowDays

Hi Riestrella! You've come a long way, and I'm sure that those 7 pounds will jut melt off if you continue doing what you're doing. I was curious though, why is it that you don't eat any snacks during the day? I find it easier to stay on plan when I have some fruit or a granola bar between meals to help keep me satisfied, so I was just wondering. Welcome to the team! =D

Thanks so much got the support Devine!!! You make a great team leader! I'm excited to get myself back on track!! :)

I'm honestly not a huge eater naturally. I can easily live on 3 meals a day, my weight gain was steady over years of laziness and then it got out of control when all I was eating was takeaways and junk food. But once I kicked myself in the arse about it I went back to eating 3 times a day no problem. The worse was giving up soda, that was tricky, but now I only have it when I'm out with friends or something as a treat. But snacking on fruit is definitely the way forward if you do want something to eat in between meals! I tend to want to eat everything when I'm on my period so I try to keep it to healthy snacks!

I also would like to eat 5 times a day (like the Insanity nutrition guide states) but I just don't have the time to with my work. I don't have an office job where I can just have a snack, so I just stick to 3 meals!

I tend to want to eat everything all the time! lol I understand what you're saying about soda, sweet tea is my weakness, giving it up was the most tricky thing I've ever done and from time to time I will have a glass as a treat or so I don't feel like I'm forbidding myself from having it.
My hardest struggle is after I work out, I'm so hungry. I try my hardest not to eat but I can't shake it.
Any suggestions?

mhill, after I work out I generally drink some sort of smoothie or something. I find it filling enough to keep me satisfied, and it's also sweet enough to feel like a treat...so I don't feel deprived.

Riestrella, takeout food is my biggest weakness right now. It's something that I can't ever seem to say no too. I guess it's because I'm always so busy that I don't ever feel like cooking, so when it's offered I just say yes...but still, I need to stop. Soda isn't a big one for me, I find it too sweet...lol. I know what you mean about trying to fit in extra meals around work. i tried 4 meals a day for a while...and I couldn't make it work with my schedule. I have a job where it's easy to snack a bit though, so that helps.

Hey everyone!
This is my first BL challenge but, unfortunately, not first go at weight loss.
The quick version of my story...
I'm 28, married (yesterday was our 5 year anniversary but we'be been together for 12!), we have two children - both boys, 3 & 4 years old, we adopted them after they were our foster children for almost a year. I currently work as a therapist working with foster children, adopted children and families BUT tomorrow I am putting in my four week notice. I have accepted a new job that I am super excited about and should be able to help me on my weigh lost journey - they have a workout center on site, I will have routine hours, etc. I have always been bigger than the other girls but I was an athlete through high school and college and that's when I started to gain weight. I also have health issues that impact my weight such as PCOS and digestive issues.

Great to see everyone so chatted and active! Good luck to all of us!

Thanks I need to give that a try! I've been looking for Any way out of that feeling without eating back all of the calories I've burned off!

I have PCOS too so I completely understand your struggle! I've done a ton of research these last couple years plus tried out several different things to get around the struggle! Ever need advice just PM me or find me on here! I'm always willing to talk about it!
I'd just like to say I love that you work with foster children and that you adopted, that makes me so incredibly happy inside!:) I have a feeling that once I am ready I will be adopting because my case of PCOS is making it unlikely to have a successful pregnancy and I'm terrified to try.

wow. I've also got PCOS. I haven't done much research, but I was diagnosed at 11 and i've been on hormones ever since. I've been told I won't be able to get pregnant without fertility drugs, and even then it's a very slim chance =/

My hubby and I had a double whammy when it come to fertility. My PCOS + a testicular tumor (I'm sure he'd be thrilled if he knew I was telling strangers about this! :) Haha) = no viable fertility options so our plan of fostering once we had a bio kid or two became our primary goal. I must say it has been the best experience ever! The boys couldn't be more "ours" if they had our dna! If you have any questions about it just let me know - I do a lot of training on it and have been in the field for almost 10 years in addition to personal experience with it.

Hey team!
Sorry I haven't posted anything yet but I was out of town this weekend. I'm going to just post my weight tomorrow morning. Anyways I am 24 and am a chemical engineer, this is my first time I have actually been serious about losing weight so I hope we can all keep eachother motivated with the help of this challenge! I think my biggest problems are not just not feeling like working out and making unhealthy choices when I am not eating at home.

hi everyone, i've been reading the personals, but I dont know where to start with responding.

Lately, my thing is walking the line between eating too little, too much or just right. I tend to go one way or the other which is both bad. Today was a struggle since I had a big lunch thinking I had enough calories for a small dinner when my parents called and asked me to go out to dinner with the family. I was a little distraught and spent the afternoon googling what to eat and finding little online nutritional information about the restaurant. The awesome thing though was that when i got there i found calorie counts on the menu!


hi foreverlove!- i know it sounds weird to say, but you are the prettiest lady engineer i've ever seen!

ForeverLove, I also struggle with making good choices when I'm not at home I almost feel like sometimes it's a free pass. It's really not good to think about it that way, because it ISN'T a free pass....but still, it's hard to fight that mentality when that's just the way that I've always thought about it. You really are gorgeous for a chemical engineer. My dad is a chemical engineer and whenever I go to work with him I'm surrounded by a bunch of old guys...so maybe I'm just not used to seeing pretty chemical engineers. I'm sure that you can lose the weight, and we're all here to support you!

jayohwhy, You don't have to respond to everyone. Just try and make sure that if anyone seems like they need some encouragement, that you give it to them. That's what we're really here for....to support each other. I think maybe starting next week I'll post a silly question for everyone to answer, and maybe more people will have something in common to talk about.


Well, I'm planning on having a great day today! Yesterday I made some bad choices when it came to food for lunch....and then I forgot to eat dinner, which I'm sure isn't healthy. Today I plan on eating every meal, and staying on plan. I will also drink 64 oz of water...because I've gotten really off track with my water drinking and I need to get back on plan. It's like all the nike commercials say...I need to just do it! lol

JayOhWhy and DivineFidelity, thank you thank you :) . I also joined fitocracy and am currently following you Divine.

I am going to stay on plan today, it's TOM so I'm hoping that's what the gain on the scale is reflecting today, but if not, I was a bad girl this weekend so I understand. I'm definitely going to stay OP this week, and try to up my water intake. Guess we'll see how it goes.

Hello team I have done these challenges several times and I love them. Looking forward to getting to know those of you that I havent chatted with. Good luck to you all!!!

Alright I joined fitocracy! Trying to figure it all out!!! I'm mhill0823 on there as well!:)

I'm on Fitocracy too! Perhaps we should make a group and have a bit of a competitive edge here? Sometimes it really keeps me going knowing I have to beat someone with points!

I'm on my last week of Insanity before I start it all over for Round 2, so I'm hoping to really kill it this week. I've not been as consistent with it in Phase 2 so I know I can try harder and it's motivating me because I just want to do my best and keep losing weight! Good news is that I've not gained any weight during my slack off weeks, only maintained it, just goes to show how intense exercise can really help your body in the long run!

I made a Team Arctic Fox group on Fitocracy, and there is a challenge on there that starts in 16 hours that you can join to see which one of us can get the most points by the end of our Biggest Loser Challenge here. If more of us join, I may do occasional weekly challenges on there as well....see who can get the most points in one week.

Thanks for the idea Riestrella! I don't know how often I'LL use it, cause right now I'm working full time and taking a bunch of classes and I'm having serious trouble finding the time to work out at all....but if it will help you guys I'm all for it!

Thanks for setting it up, Divine! It's going to really motivate me to work out!! =)

No Problem! Anything else you guys think would be helpful, just let me know =)

okay, i joined, but i dont know what i'm doing with this? haha